Demeter Biodynamic Oils: Why We Love Them

16th Aug 2017

At Goddess of Spring, we’re proud to offer a selection of Demeter
Biodynamic essential oils. These extra
fresh and pure oils are cultivated from a holistic type of farming that seeks
to heal our bodies and give back to the earth.

Demeter is an extra prestigious certification within the
already rigorous standards of Biodynamic farming. While not all Biodynamic certifications have
to be Demeter, Demeter is the oldest and the strictest, encompassing a global
family from over 50 different countries.

What Does Biodynamic
Even Mean?

Demeter Biodynamic takes the vitality and spirit of organic
farming to a whole new level. It
originated in Europe in the 1920’s in answer to the industrialization of
farming and the consequent decrease in quality of produce and livestock. Industrial farms began implementing newly invented
chemical fertilizers and other artificial practices which focused on efficiency
and high-yield rather than on nutrition and sustainability. As we’ve come to realize, to our detriment, industrial
farming takes a heavy toll on our wellbeing and hurts our planet.

On a healthier, happier note, Demeter Biodynamic farming revolves
around the theory that an ideal farm should be construed as a vital, self-sustaining
organism, rather than as a lifeless, factory part. A “living” farm should be able to support and
regenerate itself with little or no outside influence, preventing the land
within it from becoming overused and depleted. In other words, a Biodynamic farm should mimic nature and be its own
ecosystem.

To achieve this status of self-reliance, a Demeter Biodynamic
farm must meet a whole list of very specific criteria. A few stand-out qualities are:

At least 10% of the farm must be dedicated to
wilderness to encourage biodiversity.

No Artificial Substances: the farm can’t use any
synthetic chemicals, pesticides, GMOs or fertilizers. Period.

Reducing carbon output: typical farming
practices release extra carbon into the atmosphere and create greenhouse
gases. Biodynamic farming seeks to
reduce this effect – in fact, carbon reduction is one of its major selling
points.

The entire
farm must adhere to Biodynamic values, not just a portion, as standard organic
farming requires.

It’s All About Nature

One of the most compelling aspects of Biodynamic Farming is the
way it intends to use nature’s own processes to support not only the farm, but also
the environment. Standard farming practices, such as tilling, release the carbon
stored in soil into the air, adding to global warming. But Biodynamic farms seek to rein in extra
carbon production through the very plants that farms create, and the very
natural process of photosynthesis.

During photosynthesis, a plant pulls carbon out of the air
and turns it into a liquid sugar that the plant then uses to nourish
itself.All the sugar the plant doesn’t
use gets expelled through its roots into the soil. This excess sugar feeds the microbiota - all
the healthy bacteria and other organisms that live in the soil. Well-fed microbiota make the soil nutrient-dense,
and healthy soil makes healthy plants. And,
naturally, healthy plants have the highest, purest therapeutic properties to
offer the human body.

Additionally, Biodynamic farming is so much better for the
environment than standard farming. It
preserves and respects nature, reduces greenhouse gases, and cleanses its
respective land of chemicals and toxins. As our world is getting more and more polluted, Biodynamic farming
offers a way to obtain plants and not destroy the planet doing it.

Primavera’s Demeter
Certified Essential Oils

For an essential oil to be Demeter certified, the plants
from which they are composed have to not only be grown and harvested according
to Demeter standards, they also have to be processed carefully in order to
retain their certification. The Demeter
logo is always present on its certified products – if it’s not there, it’s not
certified. Primavera’s Demeter essential
oils feature the label on the back of every applicable bottle, so you can be assured
of its authenticity (you might have to peel back the tab to find it).